By Dan Vergano, USA TODAY
Global warming could do more than hurt polar bears: It could force a rise in kidney stones, scientists warned Monday.
"We see a relationship between kidney stones and temperatures everywhere," says study co-author Margaret Pearle of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. "Even in places with air conditioning, warmer temperatures mean more stones."

Kidney stones result from salts crystallizing in the kidneys, often triggered by dehydration, causing famously painful blockages. Nationwide, kidney stones strike about 12% of all men and 7% of women over their lifetime.

Warm southeastern states get 50% more cases than northeastern ones. The new research says global warming will drive this so-called kidney stone "belt" north triggering at least 1.6 million new cases by 2050.